The present invention is directed to a method of fabricating organic semiconductor devices such as organic light emitting devices. More particularly, the invention is directed to the fabrication of such devices where organic materials are deposited through a mask.
A method of fabricating a device is provided. The method may be referred to as a xe2x80x9chybridxe2x80x9d method, because different deposition processes are used to deposit organic layers and metal layers, and the differences in these processes are favorably used to facilitate the method. A shadow mask is positioned at a particular distance from a substrate. An organic layer is then deposited through the mask using organic vapor phase deposition (OVPD). A metal (or conductive metal oxide) layer is subsequently deposited through the same mask using vacuum thermal evaporation (VTE). The organic layer may be made reliably and controllably larger than the metal layer because of the differences between OVPD and VTE, even though both the organic and metal layers are deposited through the same mask. A method of fabricating an organic device is provided. A first layer is deposited over a substrate through a mask by a first process that results in the first layer having a first area of coverage. A second layer is then deposited over the substrate through the mask by a second process that results in the second layer having a second area of coverage that is different from the first area of coverage.
Another method of fabricating a device is also provided. The hybrid method described above is used to deposit a first organic layer, and then a first metal layer, through a mask, where the mask is disposed at a first position. The mask is then be moved to a second position that may be determined relative to the first position. The hybrid method is then used to deposit a second organic layer, and then a second metal layer, through the mask. The mask may then be moved to a third position that may be determined relative to the second position. The hybrid method is then used to deposit a third organic layer, and then a third metal layer, through the mask. The substrate may be moved in addition to or instead of the mask.
In each method provided, the substrate may be cooled during the deposition of the organic layers.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved method of fabricating organic semiconductor devices that use less steps than prior methods.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved method of fabricating organic semiconductor devices that takes advantage of the OVPD process.